Proposed change in Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Art.2.12 to define Peace Officer as including volunteers.

For details, click on Criminal Procedure Code(NOTE: Current session of Texas Legislature began on January 11, 1999.

Off-duty carrying of weapons by Reserves is provided by H.B. 906 by Rep. Phil King. For details, click onReserves Carry

Amend U.S. Internal Revenue Code to allow tax deductions up to $2,000 for volunteer peace officers. For details click on IRS Amend

South Carolina’s new concealed weapons law makes it much better for reserve police officers. For details, click onSouth Carolina

NEWS FLASH

Rep. Keith Oakley has quit!Late in December, 1997, the press reported that Texas State Representative Keith Oakley would not seek re-election. Volunteer peace officers will remember Rep. Oakley as Chairman of the House Public Safety Committee and his close ties to the private security industry which were evidenced by his consistent opposition to any amendment to the Private Security Act which would exempt volunteer peace officers the same as the Act exempts paid, fulltime peace officers.
While the press announcement did not mention Oakley’s future plans, “Houston Hotline”, from the Associated Security Services and Investigators of the State Of Texas (ASSIST) gave details of a meeting planned for Jan. 18 featuring Jay Kimbrough, the new executive director of the Texas Board of Private Investigators and Private Security Agencies (TBPIPSA) in Austin.
A real shocker within the meeting invitation is this sentence:“The ASSIST executive director, State Representative Keith Oakley, will tell us about the sunset procedure and our part in this most important fight.”A peace officer in Houston asked the question, “Isn’t there something wrong with being executive director of an organization when you are a State Rep?”
Someone else said, “Now they can hand Oakley money out in the open and not under the table.”
Many have been questioning Rep. Oakley’s obvious bias for years. An investigation into his financial support during the past several years showed many direct contributions from the private security industry and “honorariums” from industry groups such as ASSIST.

WHAT?!! No Private Security Board???

Senate Bill 1905 was introduced March 25, 1997 by Sen. Mike Moncrief to ABOLISH the Private Security Board (PSB) and transfer all functions to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officers Training and Education (TCLEOSE)! After a hearing in the Senate State Affairs Committee, its Chairman, Senator Ken Armbrister (who is reported to own a private security company in Victoria, TX), sent it to a Sub-Committee where bills usually die, and it did.

On May 20, 1997, Sen. Moncrief wrote Otto Vehle:

“While I still believe that the Board’s duties could be handled more efficiently by TCLEOSE, that transfer will not take place this legislative session. I firmly expect the members of the Board to take the State Auditor’s recommendations to heart and improve the performance of the agency. Their progress toward that goal will be closely monitored by the Auditor’s Office due to several riders in the appropriations bill that I developed along with members of the joint conference committee on the budget. The agency will also undergo a thorough Sunset Commission review over the interim.”